Tuesday, May 19, 2009

My hunting theory is gathering steam

The truly wise mind will harness, rather than abandon, the power of distraction. Unwavering focusâ€”the inability to be distractedâ€”can actually be just as problematic as ADHD. Trouble with â€œattentional shiftâ€ is a feature common to a handful of mental illnesses, including schizophrenia and OCD. Itâ€™s been hypothesized that ADHD might even be an advantage in certain change-rich environments. Researchers have discovered, for instance, that a brain receptor associated with ADHD is unusually common among certain nomads in Kenya, and that members who have the receptor are the best nourished in the group. Itâ€™s possible that weâ€™re all evolving toward a new techno-cognitive nomadism, a rapidly shifting environment in which restlessness will be an advantage again.

This is a decent synopsis of what I've been saying about the rise of "hunting" behaviors over "gathering" ones: